Boll-weevil or other insect destroyer.



PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905. J. S. DOAK & A. G. FARRINGTON. BOLL WEEVIL OROTHER INSECT DESTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1904,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

zzz'izeoses No. 785,719. PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905. J. s. DOAK &'A. G.PARRINGTGN. BOLL WEEVIL OR OTHER INSECT DESTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. l Iw [a Q- r L N 1' kn m Q .N NNJ I w% *N NN v A: M M E s e QM QN umvw & w K 6 r a \l a No. 785,719. Fatented March 28, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN S. DOAK, OF BROWVNWVOOD, AND ALEXANDER G. FARRINGTON, OF YOAKUM,TEXAS.

BOLL-WEEVIL OR OTHER INSECT DESTROYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,719, dated March28, 1905.

Application filed April 11, 1904. Serial No. 202,649.

T l] OOTWBYTY/I l the stalks as may be practical, so that there Be itknown that we, JOHN S. DOAK, of will be a small space between thetroughs. Brownwood, and ALEXANDER G. FARRING- The smaller the spacebetween the troughs TON, of Yoakum, Texas, have invented certain thefewer insects will fall between the troughs 5 new and usefulImprovements in Boll-Weevil to the ground. In order to prevent thetroughs or other Insect Destroyers, of which the folfrom injuring thestalks, we have provided lowing is a specification. yielding stripsl,which are attached to the This invention relates to insect-destroyers,inner edges of the trough and inclined, so that and more particularly tomeans for destroyinsects falling on the strips will slide or fall I ingboll-weevils which destroy bolls of cotinto the troughs. Means areprovided for ton on stalks before the bolls of cotton mature; passingthese troughs under the cotton-plants. and the object is to improve themachine set The means for accomplishing this object is forth in thepatent granted to us on April 1, preferably a wheeled truck. A framecon- 1902, No. 696,419. The same machine will desisting of cross-beams 2and longitudinal I5 stroy grasshoppers, millers which produce the beams3, 1, 5, and 6, attached to beams 2, is

army-worms which devour cotton-plants, the provided with wheels 7 and 8,which are proarmy-worms themselves, potato-bugs, and vided with anarched axle 9. The frame is other insects. mounted on the axle 9, whichis attached to the Another object is to produce a machine frame-pieces 3and 6. The frame is further which will be entirely efiicient for thepurpose supported bybraces 12, which are attached to and which can besold cheap enough to enable the frame-pieces 3 and 6 and to the axle 9near farmers to make use of such machines. the spindles l0 and 11. Thebraces 12 are at- Other objects and advantages will be fully tached tothe spindles 10 and 11 by means of explained in the followingdescription, and the castings 10 and 11 and by bars 12, castings 10 2 5invention will be more particularly pointed and llhavingflanges to whichthe bars 12 are out in the claims. bolted, and the same bolts extendthrough 7 5 Reference is had to the accompanying drawthe braces 12. Thecastings 10 and 11 enings, which form a part of this application andgage the axle 9 at the points where the axle specification. is bentupward. The troughs a and b are sup- 0 Figure 1 is a rear elevation ofthe machine ported in operative positions by the springin perspective.Fig. 2 is a perspective view hangers 13 and 14. The arms 13 are attached0 of the machine, showing principally the side rigidly to the wings 15and to the links 16, of the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. whichlinks are attached to the hooks 13 on 4 is a detail view of the agitatorfor shaking the framepieces 1 and 5. The hangers 14E 3 5 the cotton.Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view are attached in the same manner to thehooks illustrating themanner of attaching the braces 14 on theframe-pieces 4 and 5 and also rig- 8 5 to the axle, the View beingabroken plan view. idly attached to the wings 15 of the troughs Similarcharacters of reference are used to a and b. The wings 15 are intendedto preindicate the same parts throughout the sevvent insects fromescaping to one side of the 40 eral views. machine. In this manner thetroughs have a Our invention consists of one or more pairs slightswinging motion. The yielding motion 9 of troughs in which is placed aliquid or some of the troughs a and 7) and the rubber strips liquidswhich kill the insects when the insects 1 will prevent injury to thegrowing plants. are thrown in the liquid and of means for Spring-arms 17are provided for bringing the 45 throwing insects off of the plants intothe liqtroughs back to their normal positions when uid. The troughs aand b constitute a pair for any reason or cause the troughs are sprungof troughs, which are to be passed under the out of their normalpositions. The arms 17 branches of the stalks of growing plants, one areattached to the frame-pieces 3 and 6 and trough on each side of thestalks and close to rest against the wings 15. The arms 17 also restagainst spiral springs 18, which are mounted on rods 17, which areadjustably attached to the bars 12. The rods 17, on which the spiralsprings 18 are mounted, move loosely through the arms 17 and the springs18 are compressed between the arms 17 and the bars 12. The nuts 18 onrods 17 may be screwed farther on or off to vary the tension of thesprings 18, and suitable washers 41 and sleeves 42 are mounted on rods17 to cooperate with nuts 18 against arms 17 to cause the arms 17 tohold the troughs at the desired distance apart. The wings have flexibleconnections with the bars 12 by means of the links 15, as shown in Fig.5. The effect of the springs 18 is to aid in throwing the troughs backto their normal position, and the links 15, together with the links towhich the springhangers 13 and 14 are attached, permit a limited freedomof movement to the troughs. The troughs can thus run very close to thecotton-stalks without bruising the same.

Means are provided for agitating the cotton-stalks as the troughs a andb are being passed under them. This consists of an agitator 18", whichis rotated while the machine is moving. The agitator has a plurality ofremovable fingers 19, which come in contact with the cotton-stalks andtheir branches as the agitator is rotated and moved along the row by thetruck. The lingers 19 may be removed by taking out the bolts 40, so thatthe top casting 43 of the agitator will be loose. A sprocket-wheel 20 isattached to the wheel 8 and made rigid therewith by suitable arms 21,which engage the spokes of the wheel 8, and the hub of thesprocket-wheel is rigid with the hub of the wheel 8. A smallersprocket-wheel 22 is mounted on shaft 23, which is journaled on theframe-pieces 5 and 6. The sprocket-chain 24, driven by wheel 20, drivesthe sprocket-wheel 22. A bevel gear-wheel 25 is mounted on shaft 23, anda bevel gear-wheel 26 is mounted on the vertical shaft of the agitator18", suitable bearings being provided for shaft 23 on the frame-pieces 5and 6. The shaft 27 of the agitator 18 is journaled in a spider-bearing,which has arms 27, bent up to engage the frame-pieces 4 and 5 and whichis bolted to these frame-pieces. It is thus seen that the agitator maybe rotated as the truck is moved and that the motive power for drivingthe agitator consists of a sprocket-wheel with suitable gearing actuatedby the truck-wheels. An idler 30 may regulate the tension of thesprocket-chain 24. Means are provided for creating a constant downwardblast, preferably behind, by the agitator 18. A pulley-wheel 28 ismounted on shaft 23. A rotary fan 31 is mounted on shaft 32, which isjournaled on the framepieces 4 and 5. A pulley 33 is mounted on shaft32. A band 34 drives the pulleys 28 and 33. When the wheel 28 is driven,the fan 31 is driven and a blast downward is created. The speed of thefan 31 may be determined by the size of the wheels 28 and 33 and by thespeed of the truck. A suitable seat 35 may be mounted on theframe-pieces 4 and 5 by means of braces and supports 36, which arebolted to these frame-pieces.

The operation of the machine is fully described above. Suitable liquidpoison is placed in the troughs a and 7) for killing the insects.Kerosene-oil has been found effective for this purpose. Crude petroleumhas also been found efficient for killing insects with this machine. Theagitator and the fan mounted on the truck shake the insects down, andthey fall in the liquid poison and are killed thereby.

The truck may be propelled in any suitable manner. The drawings show atongue 37, which is broken away, for supporting the front part of thetruck when it is drawn by horses or other animals. The machine ispreferably drawn by two horses or mules, one horse walking on each sideof the row of cotton.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An insect-destroying machine comprising a wheeled truck carryingtroughs flexibly connected thereto and adapted to reach under growingplants as said truck passes over the plants, said troughs havingflexible strips on their inner edges, and means for agitating the plantsas said truck is passed over them.

2. An insect-destroying machine comprising a wheeled truck carrying apair of troughs flexibly connected thereto and adapted to reach undereach side of a row of the plants, means for agitating the plants, andmeans for forcing the insects from among the plants down into saidtroughs.

3. An insect-destroying machine comprisinga wheeled truck carryingtroughs flexibly connected thereto, means for holding said troughsyieldingly in close proximity to each row of plants, means for agitatingthe plants, and means for forcing the insects from said plants into saidtroughs.

4. An insect-destroying machine comprising a wheeled truck carryingtroughs flexibly connected thereto and adapted to reach under theplants, a rotary fan for forcing insects from the plants into saidtroughs, means for permitting said troughs to yield to pressure, andmeans for returning said troughs to their normal position.

5. In a device of the character indicated, troughs and yielding stripsattached to the edges of said troughs to prevent the bruising of thegrowing plants by said troughs.

6. In a device of the character indicated troughs and yielding strips ofthe character of rubber attached to the adjacent edges of said troughsand projecting beyond the edges of said troughs.

7. In a device of the character indicated troughs and yielding stripsattached to the inner edges of said troughs and projecting beyond theedges of said troughs and being inclined to aid in throwing insects insaid troughs.

8. An insect-destroying machine comprising a wheeled truck, troughs hungthereon and swinging in close proximity to each other, a rotary fan forforcing insects from the plants into said troughs, and springs attachedto said truck adapted to hold said troughs yieldingly in their normalposition and capable of forcing said troughs back to their normalpositions.

9. An insect-destroying machine comprising a truck having an archedaxle, wheels supporting said axle, a frame mounted on and connected tosaid axle, means for bracing said frame consisting of castings mountedon said axle, braces attached to said frame and to said castings,swinging troughs supported by said frame, and means for forcing insectsfrom the plants into said troughs.

10. An insect-destroying machine comprising a wheeled truck, a pair oftroughs flexibly, connected to said truck, spring-arms attached to saidtruck and pressing normally against the outside parts of said troughs,spiral springs adjustably mounted on said truck and pressing againstsaid spring-arms, and means for forcing insects from growing plants intosaid troughs. 11. An insect-destroying machine comprising a wheeledtruck, carrying troughs adjustably connected thereto, a rotary agitatorand a rotary fan mounted on said truck, and suitable driving-gear forsaid agitator and fan operatively connected to one of the wheels of saidtrucks.

12. In a wheeled truck of the character described a rotary agitatorprovided with a vertical shaft, a spider-bearing for said shaft,bevel-gearing for driving said agitator, and gearing operativelyconnected to one of the wheels of said truck for driving saidbevelgearing.

13. In an insect-destroying machine of the character indicated a rotaryagitator having a plurality of removable fingers mounted therein.

14. In an insect-destroying machine, a truck consisting of an archedaxle, wheels supporting said axle, a frame attached to and supported onsaid axle, and means for destroying insects comprising troughs adaptedto carry liquid poison flexibly connected to said frame and flexiblyconnected to said axle, and means for forcing the insects from theplants into said troughs.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination with suitablesupporting means,

of a pair of troughs suitably spaced apart and adjustable spacing meansincluding a screwthreaded rod, a sleeve upon the latter, springsdisposed between the ends of said sleeve and the adjacent parts of thetroughs, and nuts upon the ends of the screw-threaded rods.

16. In a device of the class described, a supporting-frame, a pair ofgathering-troughs, flexible supporting means for said troughs connectedwith the frame, and stalk-engaging means upon the inner adjacent edgesof said members.

17. An insect-destroying machine comprising a-wheeled truck, a pair oftroughs flexibly connected to said truck and provided withupwardly-projecting wings on their outer edges, spring-arms attached tosaid truck and pressing normally against said wings and the outsideparts of said troughs, spiral springs adjustably mounted on said truckand pressing against said spring-arms, and means for forcing insectsfrom growing plants into said troughs.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 8th day of March, 1904.

JOHN S. DOAK.

In presence of A. L. JAoKsoN, L. T. KNIGHT.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 10th day of March, 1904.

ALEXANDER G. FARRINGTON.

In presence of ED. B. CARRUTH, CARL PRICE.

